Since I've gotten such great advice and ideas for accessories on this forum, I wanted to share my experiences with everyone. I know I'll be repeating a lot of what has already been said on these forms, but I think it still may be helpful to some people. Also, I'll do my best to get photos posted in the next couple of days.
I own a 16GB iPhone 3G in black.
Films
I've had two films on my iPhone: first the Power Support Crystal Film and then the Steinheil Anti-Fingerprint Film. In my opinion, the Steinheil Anti-Fingerprint Film is the BEST purchase I have made for my iPhone. Although I hated having to consistently wipe off my screen (even with the Crystal Film, which I think actually made things worse for fingerprints), I was hesitant to buy the Steinheil because of the potential for blurring. Well, after having it on my iPhone for a week, I can honestly say that not only do I get zero fingerprints, I actually like the look of the screen much better (it gives it a macbook matte screen look). I can't recommend this product enough, it was even easier to install than the Power Support film.
Cases
The first case I purchased was the black silicon/gel case from AT&T. I simply wanted something to protect my iPhone until I could find a more permanent option. The case was generally unattractive, didn't fit great, and collected a TON of dust while in my pocket.
The next case I purchased was the incase slider in charcoal. This has been my most used case. It looks pretty good (I actually wished I purchased the black matte slider, I don't think the charcoal matches well with the black on the iPhone) and works quite well. It does add a slight bit of bulk, but the feel of the case is very nice in your hand. My concerns with the case is that after a while (about a month) the smaller slider piece has stopped fitting flush with the top piece. You can see a slight gap between the two pieces (functionally I don't think it has an impact, but aesthetically it bothers me) and the case has slightly scratched and nicked the top portion of the chrome bezel.
After the slider, I purchased the switcheasy colors in stealth. While this case was definitely a step up from the AT&T case, I haven't really been using it because it is still a dust magnet (when kept in my pocket). It does fit nicely, but seems to be bulkier than the slider. I would say that I feel my phone is actually most protected in this case. The slider was also the most expensive case (the others were all around $20).
My last and most recent case is the incipio feather and this is what I currently have on my iPhone. It is definitely has the lowest profile of any of the cases, feels great in my hand (similar to the slider and it actually looks and feels identical to the black speck satin cover I have on my macbook) . I also think it looks the best on my iPhone (although the incipio branding on the back doe bother me slightly). As far as protection goes, I don't think it will do much beyond protect the back of the iPhone from scratches and maybe provide some slight protection in case of a minor drop.
Here are my rankings:
Overall:
1) Incipio Feather and Incase Slider (tie)
3) Switcheasy Colors
4) AT&T Silicon Gel Case
Protection:
1) Switcheasy Colors
2) Incase Slider
3) AT&T Case
4) Incipio Feather
Look and Feel:
1) Incipio Feather
2) Incase Slider
3) Switcheasy Colors
4) AT&T Case
Other Accessories
Shortly after purchasing my iPhone, I purchased a set of NuForce NE-7M headphones (in-ear headphones with built-in mic and button). They are fantastic. Not only do they sound and feel better then the apple headphones, I think the built-in mic works better as well. The price was also right at around $50 (and NuForce customer service is great). Highly recommended.
I've also purchased the iPWR (iPhone backup battery) which I haven't recieved yet and the Griffin AirCurve Acoustic Amplifier. I'll probably return the aircurve, it doesn't work with the Incipio Feather on the iPhone and I don't like how the back of the iPhone is poorly supported.
I own a 16GB iPhone 3G in black.
Films
I've had two films on my iPhone: first the Power Support Crystal Film and then the Steinheil Anti-Fingerprint Film. In my opinion, the Steinheil Anti-Fingerprint Film is the BEST purchase I have made for my iPhone. Although I hated having to consistently wipe off my screen (even with the Crystal Film, which I think actually made things worse for fingerprints), I was hesitant to buy the Steinheil because of the potential for blurring. Well, after having it on my iPhone for a week, I can honestly say that not only do I get zero fingerprints, I actually like the look of the screen much better (it gives it a macbook matte screen look). I can't recommend this product enough, it was even easier to install than the Power Support film.
Cases
The first case I purchased was the black silicon/gel case from AT&T. I simply wanted something to protect my iPhone until I could find a more permanent option. The case was generally unattractive, didn't fit great, and collected a TON of dust while in my pocket.
The next case I purchased was the incase slider in charcoal. This has been my most used case. It looks pretty good (I actually wished I purchased the black matte slider, I don't think the charcoal matches well with the black on the iPhone) and works quite well. It does add a slight bit of bulk, but the feel of the case is very nice in your hand. My concerns with the case is that after a while (about a month) the smaller slider piece has stopped fitting flush with the top piece. You can see a slight gap between the two pieces (functionally I don't think it has an impact, but aesthetically it bothers me) and the case has slightly scratched and nicked the top portion of the chrome bezel.
After the slider, I purchased the switcheasy colors in stealth. While this case was definitely a step up from the AT&T case, I haven't really been using it because it is still a dust magnet (when kept in my pocket). It does fit nicely, but seems to be bulkier than the slider. I would say that I feel my phone is actually most protected in this case. The slider was also the most expensive case (the others were all around $20).
My last and most recent case is the incipio feather and this is what I currently have on my iPhone. It is definitely has the lowest profile of any of the cases, feels great in my hand (similar to the slider and it actually looks and feels identical to the black speck satin cover I have on my macbook) . I also think it looks the best on my iPhone (although the incipio branding on the back doe bother me slightly). As far as protection goes, I don't think it will do much beyond protect the back of the iPhone from scratches and maybe provide some slight protection in case of a minor drop.
Here are my rankings:
Overall:
1) Incipio Feather and Incase Slider (tie)
3) Switcheasy Colors
4) AT&T Silicon Gel Case
Protection:
1) Switcheasy Colors
2) Incase Slider
3) AT&T Case
4) Incipio Feather
Look and Feel:
1) Incipio Feather
2) Incase Slider
3) Switcheasy Colors
4) AT&T Case
Other Accessories
Shortly after purchasing my iPhone, I purchased a set of NuForce NE-7M headphones (in-ear headphones with built-in mic and button). They are fantastic. Not only do they sound and feel better then the apple headphones, I think the built-in mic works better as well. The price was also right at around $50 (and NuForce customer service is great). Highly recommended.
I've also purchased the iPWR (iPhone backup battery) which I haven't recieved yet and the Griffin AirCurve Acoustic Amplifier. I'll probably return the aircurve, it doesn't work with the Incipio Feather on the iPhone and I don't like how the back of the iPhone is poorly supported.
